| | Cotton Bowl History
| Year |
Result |
| 2001 |
Kansas State 35, Tennessee 21 |
| 2000 |
Arkansas 27, Texas 6 |
| 1999 |
Texas 38, Mississippi St. 11 |
| 1998 |
UCLA 29, Texas A&M 23 |
| 1997 |
BYU 19, Kansas St. 15 |
| 1996 |
Colorado 38, Oregon 6 |
| 1995 |
USC 55, Texas Tech 14 |
| 1994 |
Notre Dame 24, Texas A&M 21 |
| 1993 |
Notre Dame 28, Texas A&M 3 |
| 1992 |
Florida St. 10, Texas A&M 2 |
| 1991 |
Miami, Fla 46, Texas 3 |
| 1990 |
Tennessee 31, Arkansas 27 |
| 1989 |
UCLA 17, Arkansas 3 |
| 1988 |
Texas A&M 35, Notre Dame 10 |
| 1987 |
Ohio St. 28, Texas A&M 12 |
| 1986 |
Texas A&M 36, Auburn 16 |
| 1985 |
Boston College 45, Houston 28 |
| 1984 |
Georgia 10, Texas 9 |
| 1983 |
SMU 7, Pittsburgh 3 |
| 1982 |
Texas 14, Alabama 12 |
| 1981 |
Alabama 30, Baylor 2 |
| 1980 |
Houston 17, Nebraska 14 |
| 1979 |
Notre Dame 35, Houston 34 |
| 1978 |
Notre Dame 38, Texas 10 |
| 1977 |
Houston 30, Maryland 21 |
| 1976 |
Arkansas 31, Georgia 10 |
| 1975 |
Penn St. 41, Baylor 20 |
| 1974 |
Nebraska 19, Texas 3 |
| 1973 |
Texas 17, Alabama 13 |
| 1972 |
Penn St. 30, Texas 6 |
| 1971 |
Notre Dame 24, Texas 11 |
| 1970 |
Texas 21, Notre Dame 17 |
| 1969 |
Texas 36, Tennessee 13 |
| 1968 |
Texas A&M 20, Alabama 16 |
| 1967 |
Georgia 24, SMU 9 |
| 1966 |
LSU 14, Arkansas 7 |
| 1965 |
Arkansas 10, Nebraska 7 |
| 1964 |
Texas 28, Navy 6 |
| 1963 |
LSU 13, Texas 0 |
| 1962 |
Texas 12, Mississippi 7 |
| 1961 |
Duke 7, Arkansas 6 |
| 1960 |
Syracuse 23, Texas 14 |
| 1959 |
Air Force 0, TCU 0 |
| 1958 |
Navy 20, Rice 7 |
| 1957 |
TCU 28, Syracuse 27 |
| 1956 |
Mississippi 14, TCU 13 |
| 1955 |
Georgia Tech 14, Arkansas 6 |
| 1954 |
Rice 28, Alabama 6 |
| 1953 |
Texas 16, Tennessee 0 |
| 1952 |
Kentucky 20, TCU 7 |
| 1951 |
Tennessee 20, Texas 14 |
| 1950 |
Rice 27, North Carolina 13 |
| 1949 |
SMU 21, Oregon 13 |
| 1948 |
Penn St. 13, SMU 13 |
| 1947 |
Arkansas 0, LSU 0 |
| 1946 |
Texas 40, Missouri 27 |
| 1945 |
Oklahoma St. 34, TCU 0 |
| 1944 |
Randolph Field 7, Texas 7 |
| 1943 |
Texas 14, Georgia Tech 7 |
| 1942 |
Alabama 29, Texas A&M 21 |
| 1941 |
Texas A&M 13, Fordham 12 |
| 1940 |
Clemson 6, Boston College 3 |
| 1939 |
St. Marys, Cal. 20, Texas Tech 13 |
| 1938 |
Rice 28, Colorado 14 |
| 1937 |
TCU 16, Marquette 6 |
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